Counter-elevator device for automatic wrapping machines

Abstract

 In the feeder of an automatic machine used for the wrapping of caramels or similar products, comprising an elevator (E) and a counter-­elevator (C) which, cyclically, grasp and article from a feeder disc and transfer said article together with a wrapper to a station where the wrapper is folded over and closed, said counter-elevator is moved with a composite motion whereby when it reaches its uppermost position, the counter-elevator is caused to effect a lifting overtravel and, at the same time, is displaced on a horizontal plane away from the previous position, and is then lowered and progressively returned to the position vertically in line with the elevator, the arrangement being such that, during this movement, the counter-elevator shall get through an opening or slot (4) formed in the rear folder means (1) and constructed and oriented so as to enable this condition to occur. This solution permits to increase the productivity of the machine and to maintain the operating speed of the various members of said machine within acceptable levels, thus improving their operative performance.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to those automatic machines used for the wrapping of discrete articles, more particularly of caramels or the like, whose feeding apparatus is provided with a horizontal or substantially horizontal disc which rotates about its axis and is formed with equally-spaced seats in the periphery thereof on an imaginary circumference having its center at said axis, said seats being so dimensioned and shaped to accommodate only one caramel in each of them. Such a feeding apparatus usually comprises an elevator which, with a suitable timed sequence, moves upwards through each of these seats, one at a time, and which, in co-operation with a counter-elevator thereabove, lifts said caramels and transfers them to an upper station where said caramels are wrapped in a suitable wrapper. Before a caramel is clamped between said elevator and counter-elevator, a wrapper is automatically laid on said caramels and is thus held on the caramel by the counter-elevator. During the lifting movement of the caramel, the wrapper is folded down laterally onto said caramel and is transferred between side-clamping means thereabove in the best condition to be folded over around the caramel and closed thereon, the latter means taking over said elevator and counter-elevator which are timely returned to their initial position to repeat a new cycle.

[0002] With this type of machines, the lifting of a caramel and its wrapper usually occurs along a straight vertical path of travel, to avoid undesired distortions of the wrapper, to permit a high-speed operation, and to enable an extreme constructional and operational simplification of the caramel clamping and transfer means. The applicant is the owner of patent applications which teach how the feeding disc can continue rotating not only during the lowering or return stroke of the elevator, as occurring in the conventional machines, but also during the lifting stroke thereof, with resulting increase in the operating speed and, therefore, productivity of the feeding apparatus.

[0003] With said feeding apparatus, the time for each operative cycle depends upon the time for the descent of the counter-elevator. When the counter-elevator is in its uppermost position, at present it must remain thereat through the entire period of time required by some folding members to operate on the wrapper for a caramel, so that - in order to increase the productivity of a wrapping machine - the present trend is to cause said folding members and counter-elevator to operate at very high speeds. As a consequence, defects are likely to occur in the formation of wrappers, and adverse vibration will be caused in the operation of the machine.

[0004] The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by means of the following solution. Since the descent movement of the counter-elevator depends upon the operation of the rear folding member, when said counter-elevator has reached its uppermost position, it is further lifted to be moved away from the product and, simultaneously, it is displaced towards the rear folding member, which is operated timely and is so constructed as to present a perimetrally opened slot window wherethrough the counter-elevator may be lowered while said folding member effects its active operating stroke. During its descent, the counter-elevator is progressively returned into alignment with the elevator which is standing-by its lowered position to repeat a new operative cycle.

[0005] By this solution, the descent time of the counter-elevator is no longer additional to the operating time of the folding members, but it is simultaneous therewith, so that a higher productivity of the machine can be obtained and, at the same time, the individual components of the feeder may be operated at speeds more moderate than the present speeds.

[0006] Further characteristics of the invention, and the advantages resulting therefrom, will be more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, shown merely as a non-limiting example in the figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the feeding apparatus referred to herein;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single-bow wrapper which can be formed by the machine;

Figures 3 and 4 are front and top elevational views of a caramel with its wrapper during an intermediate step of the wrapping cycle;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V-V of figure 3, showing the caramel with its wrapper;

Figure 6 shows the caramel with its wrapper of figure 3, after the step of figure 5;

Figure 7 is a top plan view showing the relative positions of the counter-­elevator and the rear folding member during a step of the operative cycle of these members;

Figure 8 is a front elevational view showing the path of travel of the counter-elevator;

Figures 9 and 10 are a side elevational and partly sectional view and a top plan view, respectively, showing the constructional details of the counter-­elevator.

[0007] In the figures 1 and 8, D indicates the feeding disc rotatable in the direction of the arrow F, and S indicates one of the seats formed in the periphery of said disc, said seats lying on an imaginary circumference the center of which coincides with the axis of rotation of said disc. Each seat S is shaped and dimensioned so that only one caramel P can be accommodated therein, each caramel being retained in a seat by an underlying fixed guide G ending at the spot where the elevator E shall work, said elevator being positionable in a proper timed sequence under the caramel P to be lifted through the seat S in order to transfer said caramel to the wrapping station, whereafter the elevator is returned to its lower or rest position to repeat a new operating cycle. During the lifting step, the product P is retained on the elevator by means of a counter-elevator C which also retains the central portion of the wrapper T which has been timely positioned by known means on the product to be wrapped.

[0008] The lifting movement of the assembly E-C is generally vertical. The product and wrapper are passed through a small funnel-like member B which acts against the opposite side flaps of the wrapper and force the latter to assume an inverted "U" formation. If the caramel is to be wrapped within a single-bow wrapper, as in the example of figure 2, before or during the co-operation with said funnel-like member B a fork-shaped folder member (not shown) forms the front fold Z1 as from figures 3-4-5, which is then maintained by the side folds Z2-Z3. When the caramel and wrapper have reached their uppermost position, the assembly P-T is clamped at the sides thereof by the jaws A1-A2 of a polyvalent clamp K which, under command, rotates about a horizontal axis V. The elevator E and counter-­elevator C are then lowered and reset to repeat a new operating cycle. The descent of the elevator may be effected rapidly and with no dwell of the feeding disc D, as described in the Italian patent application N^o 12546 A/84 in the name of the same applicant.

[0009] The descent travel of the counter-elevator C, however, is dependent presently upon the following facts. With reference to figure 1, it will be noted that when the caramel with its wrapper has been grasped by the clamp K, the latter must keep stationary during the time required for the action, first of the front folder member Q to bring the flap Z1 into a close contact with the lower portion of said caramel, as shown in figure 5. Thereafter, the side folder member 1 shall fold over the flap Z2, as from figure 6. Successively, the clamp K is rotated one step clockwise as viewed in the figures 1 and 6, to position a new pair of open jaws A1-A2 at the wrapping station and so that, during the movement leftwards as viewed in figure 6, the flap Z3 too is folded over against the flap Z2 due to the interference with the stationary folder member H. In the successive dwell stations of the jaws of the clamp K, the wrapper is closed with the formation of the bow R, as shown in figure 2.

[0010] When the assembly P-T is transferred by the clamp K and the rear folder member is retracted, the counter-elevator C may then be lowered. It is now apparent that the dwell period of the counter-elevator in its upper position is considerable and that this condition obliges presently - in order to increase the productivity of the machine - to extremely increase the speed of the folder members Q and 1 and the movement of descent of the counter-elevator, which leads to insurmountable limits and originates considerable vibration in the operation of the feeder of the machine.

[0011] The invention aims to overcome these and other disadvantages by the following solution. It will be noted in the figures 1, 7 and 8 that the counter-elevator C is carried by the end of a lever 2 the longitudinal axis of which is substantially parallel to the jaws A1-A2 of the clamp K which at a time are positioned at the wrapping station, said lever being mounted in a cantilever fashion on the top of a vertical rod 3 which is reciprocatable upwards and downwards and is rotatable about its axis, as described below. The folder member 1, which is pivotably mounted on the axis V and is supported by the lever M, is so shaped as to present, in plan view, a U-shaped configuration, or to present an opening or slot 4 which is open in the direction facing the lever 2 of the counter-­elevator (see figures 1 and 7).

[0012] When the elevator/counter-elevator assembly has reached its uppermost position, the elevator E is lowered and the counter-elevator C begins its disengagement travel which, as shown in figures 7 and 8, comprises first the lifting and simultaneous rotation of said counter-elevator to transfer it above the cutout 4 of the folder member 1, whereafter said counter-elevator is lowered along a curved path of travel so as to get through the cutout 4 while the folder member 1 effects its active operating stroke. During its descent, the counter-elevator is pivoted oppositely to the previous direction, so as to be progressively returned into a vertically aligned position with the active portion of the elevator E.

[0013] It is apparent how the time of descent of the counter-elevator is now conglobed with the time of the active working stroke of the folder members 1 and Q, with the obvious advantages resulting from this condition.

[0014] Figures 9 and 10 illustratively show how the upwards, downwards and oscillatory movements of the counter-elevator may be effected.

[0015] The rod 3 of the counter-elevator is rotatably mounted, at the ends thereof, on bearings 5-105 fixed to the frame 6 of the machine and supporting also - rotatably about the axis of said rod 3 - the wing portions of a C-shaped support 7 formed with a rectilinear groove 8 parallel to said rod, wherein a small roller 9 carried by an extension 10 secured normally to said rod 3 can roll.

[0016] Formed in the intermediate portion of the rod 3 is a transverse cutout 11 engaged with a pivot 12 carried by the end portion of a lever 13 which is fulcrumed at 14 on the frame of the machine and connected intermediately at 15 to a lever 16 which, through the pair of rollers 17, follows the contour of a cup-­shaped cam 18 which is keyed on the main shaft 19. By means of the mechanism described above, the counter-elevator reciprocated vertically as required.

[0017] The support 7 is connected by a lug 20 to a tierod 21 which, in turn, is pivotably connected at 22 to a lever 23 which is keyed on the top end of a vertical shaft 24 rotatably supported by the stationary support 25. Keyed crosswise on the end of said shaft 24 is a lever 26 which, through small rollers 27, follows the contour of a cam 28 which is keyed on the shaft 19. By the last-mentioned means, the rod 3 of the counter-elevator is oscillated as required.

Claims

1. A counter-elevator device for the feeder of machines used for the wrapping of discrete articles, for example, caramels or the like, operating in conjunction with an elevator (E) to transfer the caramels together with the wrapping material from a feeding disc (D) to a station where the wrapper is folded and closed, said counter-elevator device being characterized in that it is carried by and connected to compositely motivating means whereby after the lifting stroke, while the elevator (E) performs its descent stroke, said device is lifted further and is simultaneously moved away towards the rear folder (1) and is then lowered so as to pass through a slot (4) which is open in perimetral direction, formed in said folder which may be moved to its active working stroke while said counter-elevator gets therethrough upon descending to its initial position and progressively moving into alignment with said elevator.

2. A counter-elevator device according to the preceding claim, characterized by the fact that it is carried by a lever (2) mounted overhangingly on the top of a vertical rod (3) which is moved with a reciprocating axial motion and an oscillatory motion about its axis, said rear folder (1) having a substantially U-­shaped plan view configuration and having its cutout (4) directed towards the field of oscillation of the lever (2) of the counter-elevator (C) so that said lever can get therethrough.

3. A counter-elevator device according to the preceding claims, wherein the vertical rod (3) supporting said counter-elevator is axially reciprocated by a lever (13) which through rollers (12) co-operates with an intermediate transverse cutout (11) and which, in turn, co-operates through another lever (16) with an actuating cam (18), said rod (3) being provided with a normal extension (10) which through its end roller (9) co-operates with a rectilinear guide (8) parallel to said rod and formed on a C-shaped support (7) which through its wing portions is pivotably mounted co-axially with said rod (3) and which is connected through levers (21-23-26) to an actuating cam (28), the arrangement being such that said rod is moved with the required oscillatory movement.

Drawing